Brush hand dryer

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a hair brushing and drying device in which an operator can brush hair of a subject while directing a stream of air in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the brush.

United States Patent [1 1 Russell Aug. 26, 1975 [54] BRUSH HAND DRYER 3,386,185 6/1968 Angclillo 132/9 3 3 l7 1 l [76] inventor: Leslie John Russell, 9 Eldon Ct., H1970 wd ters 132,9 X

Brondesbury Rd., N.W. 6, England FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS il g 1 1973 639,293 5/1962 Italy 15/25 645.661 9/1962 Italy 15/26 Appl. No.: 384,695

[52] US. Cl 132/9; 34/97 [51] Int. Cl A45d 20/50 [58] Field of Search 15/25, 26, 314, 321, 322, 15/344; 34/97; 132/9, 112

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 922,225 5/1909 Wegner 15/344 1,608,532 11/1926 Robcy 15/25 X 2,827,060 3/1958 Marty 132/9 Primary ExaminerHarvey C. Hornsby Assistant ExaminerC. K. Moore Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Fleit & Jacobson [5 7 ABSTRACT This invention relates to a hair brushing and drying device in which an operator can brush hair of a subject while directing a stream of air in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the brush.

12 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEU AUG 2 6 I975 SHEET 1 BF 2 BRUSH HAND DRYER This invention relates to a hair brushing and drying device and more particularly to such a device which enables an operator to brush the hair of a subject while directing a stream of air onto the hair.

According to the present invention there is provided a hair brushing and drying device comprising a handle, a brush mounted for rotation on the handle, control means for effecting the rotation of the brush, a dryer support mounted on the handle and a dryer arranged in the dryer support and spaced from the brush for directing air at the brush in a direction transverse to the rotational axis of the brush.

In a preferred form the control means includes a hand operated lever movable about the outer surface of the handle. This lever may be connected to a hollow member rotatably mounted within the handle. A portion of a stem of the brush is received into the hollow member to allow the brush to rotate with the hollow member. In this way movement of the lever will cause a corresponding rotational movement of the brush.

In one form the brush stem is provided with a sleeve having a bifurcated end portion which slide fits onto a pin located in the hollow member.

Conveniently, the dryer support is adapted to be rotated about the handle to allow the angular position of the support to be adjusted. The dryer may be mounted in an aperture on the support. This aperture may be shaped so that the dryer can be arranged in one of a plurality of positions thereby to vary the distance between the dryer and the brush.

In a preferred form the dryer includes a nozzle having a plurality of spaced apertures, the axes of the apertures extending perpendicular to the rotational axis of the brush.

Illustrative embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates in side view one form of the device;'

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates an end view of the device of FIG. I with the brush removed; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a modified form of the device.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 one form of hair brushing and drying device which includes a handle 1, a brush 2, a manually operable lever 3 for rotating the brush 2, a support 4 and a dryer 5 mounted in the support 4.

The handle 1 is of hollow construction and is provided with a hand grip portion 6 on its outer surface to allow the device to be held by an operator.

A hollow member 7 is rotatably arranged within the handle 1 and is provided with a transverse aperture adjacent one end thereof through which a pin 8 is screwthreaded. The pin 8 is attached to the lever 3 which is movable in a slot 9 extending about part of the outer surface of the handle 1. A return spring in the form of coil spring 14 surrounds part of the member 7 and is connected to the pin 8 to bias the lever toward one of the ends of the slot 9 to a stop position. Thus, when an operator releases the lever it will move under the influence of the spring to the said one end of the slot.

The brush 2 includes a stem 10 having a sleeve 11 bonded, pressed or pinned about one end thereof. The

sleeve 11 is slotted to provide a bifurcated end portion which extends into the member 7 and slide fits over the pin 8. In this way the stem 10 is connected to the member 7 thus allowing the brush to be rotated by means of the lever 3. To firmly secure the brush 2 to the handle a locking cap 12 is provided. This cap is screwed onto the end of the handle 1 and engages a shoulder 13 provided on the sleeve 11. By unscrewing the cap 12 it is possible to detach the brush 2 and cap from the handle 1. A further cap and brush having a different type of brushing head may then be inserted into the handle 1 if required by the operator and the device reassembled.

The support 4 is provided with an aperture at one end thereof to allow the support to be fitted onto the handle and secured in position by means of the cap 12. The support 4 is also provided with a shaped aperture 15 into which the dryer 5 is fitted.

The dryer 5 comprises a length of flexible hose 16 having one end connected to an air supply for supplying hot and/or cold air and the other end thereof connected to a nozzle arrangement 17. The dryer is pressfitted into a portion of the shaped aperture 15. As can best be seen from FIG. 3 the aperture 15 is shaped so that the dryer may be fitted into one of three positions to thereby allow the distance of the dryer from the brush to be varied as required by the operator.

The nozzle 17 of the dryer 5 extends parallel to the axis of head of the brush and is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures 18 in the side wall thereof for directing hot or cold air at the brush in a direction transverse to the rotational axis of the brush. The axes of the apertures 18 extend perpendicular to the rotational axis of the brush. If desired the dryer 5 can be removed from the support 4 and used separately from the brush. Further, the angular position of the support 4 may be adjusted by releasing the cap 12 and rotating the support about the handle until it is in a desired position and then retightening the cap.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is similar in many respects to the previously described embodiment except that a different arrangement is used to rotate the brush. In this arrangement the lever 3 is connected via a pin 21 to a one-way ratchet member 19 having a pawl 23 which engages teeth 24 on one end of the member 7. The ratchet member is biased in one direction by means of a spring 20. In such a construction rotation of the lever 3 in one direction will operate the ratchet so that the rotational movement of the lever will be transmitted to the member 7. Located within the tubular member 7 is a pin 22 which receives the bifurcated end of the sleeve 11 of the brush 2 so that rotation of the sleeve by the ratchet can be transferred to the brush. In operation an operator moves the lever so that the brush is rotated into a desired position. On release the lever will return to its stop position under the bias of the spring 20 while the brush remains in the desired position clue to the action of the one-way ratchet member 19. Further movement of the lever will cause a corresponding further movement of the brush.

I claim:

1. A hair brushing and drying device comprising a handle, a brush, said brush being mounted for rotation on the handle, control means, said control means effecting the rotation of the brush, a support, said support being mounted on the handle and a dryer, said dryer having air nozzle means said nozzle means being arranged in the support and spaced from the brush for directing air at the brush in a direction transverse to the rotational axis of the brush.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which the control means includes a hand operated lever movable about the outer surface of the handle.

3. A device according to claim 2 in which the control means includes a hollow member rotatably mounted within the handle, the hollow member being connected to the lever.

4. A device according to claim 3, which includes a spring biased ratchet member, said ratchet member being connected to said lever and engaging said hollow member so that rotation of said lever can be transmitted to said hollow member.

5. A device according to claim 2 in which the control means includes a hollow member rotatably mounted within the handle, the hollow member being connected to the lever, the brush further including a sleeve, a portion of which is received in the hollow member to allow the brush to rotate with the said hollow member.

6. A device according to claim 5 and further comprising a pin provided in the hollow member, the sleeve ineluding a bifurcated end portion which slide fits on said pin, said pin providing the connection between the lever and the hollow member.

7. A device according to claim 2 which includes a return spring for biasing the lever to a stop position.

8. A device according to claim 1 in which the support is adapted to be rotated about the handle to allow the angular position of the support to be adjusted.

9. A device according to claim 1 in which the support has an aperture into which the nozzle means is received.

10. A device according to claim 9 in which the aperture is shaped so that the nozzle means can be arranged in one of a plurality of positions to thereby vary the distance between the nozzle means and the brush.

1 1. A device according to claim 1 in which the nozzle means has a plurality of spaced apertures, the axes of the apertures extending perpendicular to the rotational axis of the brush.

12. A device according to claim 1 in which said handle is hollow and has an internally screw-threaded open end, the device further including a stem on said brush, said stem extending into said handle through said open end, a retaining shoulder on said stem located within said handle and facing towards said open end thereof, an externally screw-threaded locking cap screwed into said internally screw-threaded open end of the handle and engaging said retaining shoulder to prevent said stem from being withdrawn from said handle. 

1. A hair brushing and drying device comprising a handle, a brush, said brush being mounted for rotation on the handle, control means, said control means effecting the rotation of the brush, a support, said support being mounted on the handle and a dryer, said dryer having air nozzle means said nozzle means being arranged in the support and spaced from the brush for directing air at the brush in a direction transverse to the rotational axis of the brush.
 2. A device according to claim 1 in which the control means includes a hand operated lever movable about the outer surface of the handle.
 3. A device according to claim 2 in which the control means includes a hollow member rotatably mounted within the handle, the hollow member being connecTed to the lever.
 4. A device according to claim 3, which includes a spring biased ratchet member, said ratchet member being connected to said lever and engaging said hollow member so that rotation of said lever can be transmitted to said hollow member.
 5. A device according to claim 2 in which the control means includes a hollow member rotatably mounted within the handle, the hollow member being connected to the lever, the brush further including a sleeve, a portion of which is received in the hollow member to allow the brush to rotate with the said hollow member.
 6. A device according to claim 5 and further comprising a pin provided in the hollow member, the sleeve including a bifurcated end portion which slide fits on said pin, said pin providing the connection between the lever and the hollow member.
 7. A device according to claim 2 which includes a return spring for biasing the lever to a stop position.
 8. A device according to claim 1 in which the support is adapted to be rotated about the handle to allow the angular position of the support to be adjusted.
 9. A device according to claim 1 in which the support has an aperture into which the nozzle means is received.
 10. A device according to claim 9 in which the aperture is shaped so that the nozzle means can be arranged in one of a plurality of positions to thereby vary the distance between the nozzle means and the brush.
 11. A device according to claim 1 in which the nozzle means has a plurality of spaced apertures, the axes of the apertures extending perpendicular to the rotational axis of the brush.
 12. A device according to claim 1 in which said handle is hollow and has an internally screw-threaded open end, the device further including a stem on said brush, said stem extending into said handle through said open end, a retaining shoulder on said stem located within said handle and facing towards said open end thereof, an externally screw-threaded locking cap screwed into said internally screw-threaded open end of the handle and engaging said retaining shoulder to prevent said stem from being withdrawn from said handle. 